A senior Union Minister is calling out what he describes as a disturbing new trend — and the accusation is pointed squarely at the Opposition. Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh fired a sharp broadside on X on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, alleging that members of the Opposition — referring to them as 'bhai-behen' (brother-sister duo) — have launched what he sarcastically calls a 'kehuni-maar' ('elbow-strike') style of protest, accusing them of elbowing women journalists and clashing with police under the cover of democratic demonstration. In his post, Singh wrote: 'Bhai-behen ka naya trend chalu hua hai, 'kehuni-maar' pradarshan! Mahila patrakaaron ko kohni maarkar aspatal pahunchaana aur police se bhidna hi inke liye loktantra hai!' — which translates to: 'A new trend has started for the brother-sister duo — the 'elbow-strike' protest! Elbowing women journalists into the hospital and clashing with police — this is their idea of democracy!' The post accompanied a video, the contents of which NationPress cannot independently verify, but which Singh appears to use as evidence for his allegation. ## The 'Kehuni-Maar' Charge — What Singh Is Alleging Singh's post is a combative political attack, framing an Opposition protest as not merely disruptive but physically dangerous — specifically to women in the press. The phrase 'kehuni-maar pradarshan' is a coinage designed to mock and condemn simultaneously, reducing what the Opposition would frame as democratic dissent to an act of bodily harm against journalists. The reference to 'bhai-behen' — the brother-sister duo — is widely understood in current Indian political discourse as an allusion to a prominent Opposition political family or leadership pair, though Singh does not name individuals explicitly in the post. ## Press Safety and Political Protests — A Live Fault Line Allegations of journalists being physically harmed during political protests — from any quarter — carry serious weight. Press freedom advocates have consistently flagged the physical safety of reporters, especially women journalists, as a critical issue during high-tension political events on the streets. If Singh's allegation of hospitalisation is accurate, it would represent a significant escalation. His invocation of police clashes alongside harm to journalists is a deliberate double-framing: painting the protest as both violent and lawless in a single sweep. The BJP has increasingly used social media posts by senior leaders to set the narrative frame on Opposition actions before formal press briefings follow. Singh's intervention lands in a political atmosphere already charged with competing claims about who is upholding — and who is undermining — democratic norms. The Textiles Minister's choice of sharp, street-register Hindi rather than formal ministerial language signals that this is political combat, not a policy statement. If women journalists were indeed hospitalised at a protest site, that fact alone demands accountability — regardless of which side of the political divide is responsible.